Effect of Chronic Consumption of Sweeteners on Microbiota and Immunity in the Small Intestine of Young Mice

Abstract

The consumption of sweeteners has increased as a measure to reduce the consumption of calories and thus combat obesity and diabetes. Sweeteners are found in a large number of products, so chronic consumption has been little explored. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of chronic sweetener consumption on the microbiota and immunity of the small intestine in young mice. We used 72 CD1 mice of 21 days old, divided into 3 groups: (i) No treatment, (ii) Group A (6 weeks of treatment), and (iii) Group B (12 weeks of treatment). Groups A and B were divided into 4 subgroups: Control (CL), Sucrose (Suc), Splenda® (Spl), and Svetia® (Sv). The following were determined: anthropometric parameters, percentage of lymphocytes of Peyer’s patches and lamina propria, IL-6, IL-17, leptin, resistin, C-peptide, and TNF-α. From feces, the microbiota of the small intestine was identified. The BMI was not modified; the mice preferred the consumption of Splenda® and Svetia®. The percentage of CD3+ lymphocytes in Peyer’s patches was increased. In the lamina propria, Svetia® increased the percentage of CD3+ lymphocytes, but Splenda® decreases it. The Splenda® and Svetia® subgroups elevate leptin, C-peptide, IL-6, and IL-17, with reduction of resistin. The predominant genus in all groups was Bacillus. The chronic consumption of sweeteners increases the population of lymphocytes in the mucosa of the small intestine. Maybe, Bacillus have the ability to adapt to sweeteners regardless of the origin or nutritional contribution of the same.

Food as medicine: targeting the uraemic phenotype in chronic kidney disease

“…However, as sweeteners can exert bacteriostatic effects by inhibition of bacterial enzymes, or by altering the transport of essential nutrients for bacterial growth and survival, they may induce changes in the profile and function of the gut microbiota 122 -125 . Sweeteners interact directly with the community of micro-organisms in the colon causing changes in the relative diveristy and subsequent metabolic imbalances 124,126,127 as well as lymphocytosis in intestinal mucosa 128 . Acesulfame potassium, cyclamate and saccharin, for example, have all been shown to inhibit the anaerobic fermentation of glucose by the intestinal microbiota of rats 122 .…”

Plausible Biological Interactions of Low- and Non-Calorie Sweeteners with the Intestinal Microbiota: An Update of Recent Studies

“…The modifications observed in the immune system of the mucous membranes and in the microbiota of the small intestine in young mice after weaning depend on age and diet. This study used culture media and not metagenomic approaches, and some results might be related to some carriers present in the evaluated products, such as maltodextrins [56].…”

Perspective: Standards for Research and Reporting on Low-Energy (“Artificial”) Sweeteners

“…Approaches in animal studies such as very excessive dose loading may be appropriate for some safety and toxicological research but can have distorting consequences for nutrition-related outcomes. A further issue for interpretation and replication is that many studies have fed animals commercial 'tabletop' LES preparations which are of unknown, impure or variable composition, where the sweetener comprises perhaps only a small percentage of the total content (28)(29)(30). Notably, the non-LES filler material or bulking agents in these compositions may also include fermentable carbohydrates.…”